Mayco Naberrie Skywalker
by Charlotte1
Summary: Before Luke and Leia there was Mayco. Anakin and Padme's daughter who was denied her lineage. This is her life story. Reviews are VERY welcome, let's make this reciprocal huh?
1. Introduction

**Mayco Naberrie-Skywalker**

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the original characters and the words. I am making no money out of this. Oh yeah, and please don't sue.

Summary: AU. A compilation of stories (some old, some new) that will tell of the life and death, and everything beyond, of Mayco Naberrie-Skywalker, daughter of Anakin and Padme. Denied her birthright for the majority of her life, growing up instead as an initiate of unknown origins under the watchful gaze of Anakin, Mayco has led an adventurous life to say the least. These are her adventures…

CONTENTS 1. Before there was you 

2. Sacrifice

3. Revelation

4. Reunion

5. The Birthday Surprise

6. Master Yoda

7. Tio

8. Fledgling

9. In the dark I found light

10. My little girl

11. Child's Play

12. Trust

13. Speedway Games

14. The accused

15. Lessons of the Dark Side

16. Sick

17. That dream I had

18. The Ysalimiri bandits

19. Rodeo

20. The Lost Skywalker

21. My father, the monster

22. The New Way


	2. 1 Before there was you

**Before there was you**

I know I should tell him, he has a right to know, but if I am being truly honest, I'm a little frightened of how he might react. We've only been married for half a season, how could this have happened so soon? We've barely seen each other and rarely had a chance to hold one another let alone… Oh what's the use? Fretting about it isn't going to make this any easier to bear. I'm going to be a mother. There's a little life inside of me, already so powerful that she keeps me awake at night.

I know it's a girl. I know I'm going to have a little daughter. I don't know how it's possible, but I'm aware of her feelings and primitive thoughts. I know when she's tired; I know when she's bored; and I know when she's frightened. I can't explain it. It must be down to Anakin being who he is. He must have passed his powers onto his unborn daughter.

She is so powerful, he must be able to sense her, but if he does he hasn't said anything. He's looking out over the lake in silence and if for the millionth time I wish I could read his mind the way he often reads mine. What is he thinking? Oh it's so infuriating.

He's looking smug I must say. Or rather, pleasantly happy with himself. Does that mean he knows, or that his mind is wandering off to some latest epic battle he conquered as he is wont to do these days. Baby is stirring; she's been resting for a long time today. Oh my little girl, I can't wait to meet you.

Ani now looks at me with a look filled with warmth and pride, before he answers my unspoken question by dropping his gaze to my stomach and holding out his hand to touch the skin, inches from his unborn child. As though a spark goes off in my tummy I feel Baby's happiness peak. I should have known she would be able to sense her father.

" I can't believe it," he finally whispers. " I'm so proud of you." I'm not sure which 'you' he is talking to, as I am sure they are engaging in some sort of Force connection as we speak, but suddenly his eyes lift to mine and he's straightened up, embracing me gently.

" I was worried, I didn't know how you would react," I respond, kissing him with an overwhelming relief, such has been my burden these last two months.

" What are you talking about?" Anakin laughs, the comforting deep sound reverberating round my chest. " This is wonderful!" For a moment I'm caught up in his delirium and for a moment all my other fears have washed away and I allow my strong husband to swing me around in his joy.

As he places me gently back on my feet however, the niggling fear returns.

" What's wrong?" Anakin asked sounding concerned, his large blue eyes suddenly seeming vulnerable…he's still so young.

" We're going to have to tell the council, they're going to find out about us," I say softly, trying to ignore the prickling sensation in my nose. I must not cry. I must be strong.

" Why would we do that?" my husband is asking as though I have gone mad. His short-sightedness makes me laugh.

" Ani, don't you feel it?" I say in wonder, resting my hands protectively over my baby. " Don't you feel how powerful she is? They're going to find her…"

" We'll hide her, we'll keep her from them," Anakin tries desperately, as though the thoughts that have been plaguing me for weeks are suddenly dawning on him: if they find her they'll take her away.

" They will find her," I say trying to be firm. " If we tell them the truth, then perhaps they will be lenient, perhaps they'll let us keep her and train her…"

" They will never let us keep her," Anakin utters gruffly and he sits down on the porch swing with a dark expression. " But I don't was them to take our baby away…" I sit down beside him, reaching out to take his hands. He grasps for mine in return and for a moment we sit side by side in our misery. How can something so small evoke such powerful emotions in two grown adults?

Baby's mood is fluctuating, she is afraid. It must be Anakin that is causing her to feel this fear. She has paid little attention to my fretting over the weeks. Perhaps his presence in the Force allows her to understand the predicament we are in now. Perhaps she now knows the horrible decision that lies at our feet.

If we run, and trust me I have seriously considered this option, then we may be able to keep her from the council. She would grow up unable to control her powers, and she would be susceptible to the Sith. I've come to learn that Anakin was in great danger when he was on Tatooine, had any Sith found him they would have undoubtedly taken him to the dark side.

Though it breaks my heart, I would rather my daughter be taken from me by the Jedi to be trained as her father is, than to have her fall into the path of the Sith. I hope Anakin sees it this way…he must!

XXX

_Padme and I have been arguing again. It seems like only yesterday that I found out about her wonderful secret, and yet four months have gone by. Padme is unrecognisable. She is swollen so much that the physician who saw her believed her to be carrying twins. It wouldn't surprise me if our little girl was a huge baby, because she's more powerful than you can imagine. Her feelings and her presence drift out to me even when I'm across the stars in the wars. It is more comforting to me than I ever believed possible; to know that my baby is alive and well is so vital to my existence now that I rely on her steady presence to get me through the day._

_Padme has taken up house at the retreat. She's too large to keep up with her senatorial duties and now spends the hours wiling away in the country side with only her morbid thoughts to accompany her. I'm an awful husband for allowing her to suffer so. She is so concerned about what will happen when our child is born._

_We can't tell the council. We just can't! They would take her away in a heartbeat, enrol her at the temple before she was born. I can't allow it. I can't allow my family to be ripped apart so cruelly, the same way I was ripped from my mother. Damn the code! Damn it! What do the council know of love and suffering? It is more painful and unbearable to be forbidden to love. I fear every day for my wife and child because I am not with them and I am not openly allowed to care for them. If it weren't for the code then I could keep them safe publicly. They would never come to any harm._

_Padme still believes that we should tell the council and I fear that I am losing the battle. She says she's been having premonitions – I call them dreams, but every time I mention it she slaps me and boy, for a pregnant lady she can sure hit hard – about our child. She won't tell me the details, but it involves the dark side and suffering. What she fails to understand is that if we went into hiding the Sith wouldn't get a chance to lay their fingers on our baby because I would be there to protect her. I would never allow her to be whisked away by anybody, least of all the council._

" _Anakin?" I look up from my reverie and see Padme looking very concerned. In an instant I'm by her side._

" _What's wrong?" I ask, but she doesn't need to speak. I sense him. Obi-Wan. " Oh no…"_

_I can feel his shock and disappointment and it burns me. I don't need to look up to see he has walked in with the most sad expression he has ever mustered. Don't look upon me…_

" _Anakin…" He sounds aggrieved as though I had struck him. Finally I tear my eyes from Padme's bulge to see my Master giving the pair of us a heartbroken expression._

" _Master…" I try, but the words won't come. He's the closest thing to a father, and I've just delivered him a crippling blow. His eyes slowly move downwards and settle on Padme's protruding bump and his brow raises in wonder. He can't quite believe the power that resides there. I must say, when I first encountered Baby I was shocked also. She is so incredibly powerful that sometimes, even when I am light-years away, she keeps me awake at night… It makes me smile._

XXX

The pains have begun. Oh they are indescribable! The little terror! She's excited. She knows her moment has come, but oh my…here comes another one…

" Arghh," I cry out despite myself and grip for Anakin's hand. It brings me slight satisfaction to see a wince of pain cross his face as I crush his hand. Twenty seconds later and the pain has subsided and I can breathe again. Anakin quickly reclaims his hand and looks at it in slight disbelief.

We're on Coruscant, at some Republic medical centre near to Ani's apartments, not that this had any bearing on the decision as to where I would give birth. The temple is right next door, that is why we find ourselves here.

I have been both dreading and anticipating this day for weeks. I am finally going to meet my daughter, but within twenty four hours of bringing her into this world, she will be taken from me. I don't think I can bear it… all this pain… all this love…

Obi-Wan was obliged to tell the council. He has long since forgiven us for our betrayal, but they were not so forgiving. They insisted our baby be raised at the temple as even they could sense the power she possesses. We begged to remain a part of her life, but the declined, citing some arbitrary part of the code as explanation. Anakin feels they are punishing him, I however, knew all along that this dream was too good to be true. I have been saying my goodbyes to my baby every night for the last month.

I pity Anakin. I at least managed to spend nine months with Baby. He has been away, on dangerous crusades in the name of the order that is now going to break his heart for his troubles.

" Arghh!" Another one! They are getting closer. She is nearly here.

Anakin looks like he knows better than to reach out for me, but he thinks first and foremost of me and offers his hand. I do not wish to hurt him when he suffers to already and instead grip the iron bed in pain. " Oh Force…juts come out!" I wail at my baby. I know she can hear me, I know she's doing the best she can.

This last week she has started to feel afraid. Anakin noticed it at first and he started to be more tentative to my enormous bump. Slowly I started to feel it also. Baby is afraid. Afraid of losing us. We have fretted too much, she knows…

The pain passes and I pant exhaustedly. I want this to be over. I want to hold my baby.

XXX

_It's time. There are medical droids and staff everywhere. I have been pushed to the side, just barely able to reach out and touch my wife's fingertips. She is being so brave…I'm so proud of her._

_Don't cry! Be strong!_

_To be honest, I have felt like crying all week. Ever since our baby started to feel unsure, she's wreaked havoc on my emotions. It's like she has a magic switch in there somewhere that she can press whenever she wants me to become dangerously emotional. I woke up crying the other night and found Padme sitting straight up in bed, pale as a ghost. This can't be healthy. I should…_

" _It's a girl!" I suddenly look up from my thoughts. I was so wrapt up in my pain that I didn't notice my wife has just delivered our child into the world. _

" _Why isn't she crying?" I find myself demanding fearfully and I get to my feet seeing a small blooded baby being wrapped in a sheet. It's as though I'm not here. " Hello? Why isn't she crying?" I persist louder and I can't help it, but panic enters my voice._

" _She's fine and well," the doctor assures me as he lifts the tiny baby onto my wife's breast. I manage to squeeze past all the personnel and drop down at Padme's side._

_And finally, after months and months of agonised waiting I get my first glimpse of my daughter. She's looking up at Padme with the largest most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen, and in an instant my cheeks feel wet._

" _Oh Ani isn't she beautiful?" Padme utters and I look to my beautiful, strong, fabulous wife to see she too is crying. Yet our little baby, remains quiet and calm. I kiss Padme firmly, so proud of her for making something so perfect, before I look back at my baby…at my daughter… to see she is now looking at me._

_Through the Force I can feel she feels safe and secure and loved. She isn't wrong. I don't believe that I have ever loved anything as much as I love her at this moment in time._

Hi baby_ I reach out to her with the Force. _Hi little one, I'm your daddy_…_

_I reach out my finger to her flailing little hand and she latches onto it with a firm grip._

Don't worry, you're safe now, no one is ever going to hurt you!

_I glance at my wife, who has tears of joy streaming down her face and I reach out with my other hand for hers. Our baby wriggles a little, but as we look at her again she calms down, content just to look up at us with those large soulful eyes. What a little attention seeker already I tell you!_

XXX

Our baby is asleep on my chest. Everyone has left the room and it's just the three of us. Probably the last time our family will be complete. Anakin is lying at my side, his hand on our daughter's impossibly tiny back, his other arm round me and we just lie here…content.

" She already has a name doesn't she?" I finally murmur. Anakin lifts his head from the pillow and looks at me with a small happy smile. He slowly nods. " It's Mayco isn't it?" He nods again, before resting his head once more. " I don't know where it came from, but somehow, she's always been Mayco."

" Our little Mayco," Anakin repeats and sadness enters his tone. " Not ours for long…"

" She will always be ours," I say more firmly than I mean to. Mayco stirs slightly, before sleep claims her sleepy self once more. " Anakin we have to promise each other that we'll never stop loving her, that we'll never stop being there for us if she comes looking!" Anakin nods with more resolve in his expression than I have ever seen.

" I promise," he says firmly and I know he means it. I know that neither of us will ever forget this feeling right now. We are a family, and should be ever be separated by the galaxy itself, nothing can ever change that.


	3. 2 Sacrifice

Sacrifice 

Anakin stared down at the bundle in his arms. Only a day old, and yet already a beautiful baby. She had the largest blue eyes he'd ever seen on a human and a full head of white/blonde hair. She'd undergone all the tests and it was clear that she was very force sensitive, her midichlorian count, like his own, was off the scale, that's how powerful she was. He could feel her presence in the force, it was strong and warm and he could sense her feelings and emotions, she was happy and secure and she felt safe and protected. He was already in love with her, his precious child…a child he would never be able to call his own. She was being taken away of course, to be raised at the temple, and she would never know who he was, or who her mother was. The very thought of giving this baby away was heart breaking. As he thought this she smiled up at him. She knew now who he was, he could sense that she knew she belonged to him, and that he was hers. She could not know that they were about to lose each other forever.

" That's right," Anakin said softly and he sat down bringing the bundle closer. " I'm your father," he said. As he said this a tiny hand reached out and clasped around his little finger. Anakin felt a stab of pain as he lifted his hand up slightly and kissed her tiny fingers, so small and yet perfectly formed. He wondered now if this was how his mother felt when she gave him up. No…she would feel a hundred times worse. Anakin had only known his daughter a day, when his mother had known him nine years. The child…no…his daughter's emotions were changing, she was beginning to feel anxious with her father's change in mood. Anakin cupped her head with his hands and stared into her eyes. " I'm sorry," he said, holding back tears. " But I can't keep you! You're mine, and I can't keep you! You'll never know who I am, but please, you have to understand that I will always love you, and I will always be there for you, but this is the last time I'll hold you, the last time I can call you mine," he managed and he felt a tear escape from his eye. It landed on the girl's forehead and she flinched, but then looked up at Anakin again. Her emotions were loud and clear, she trusted him, she thought that as long as he was with her, she'd be fine…but she was being taken away…now!

The door opened and four people walked in; Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi Wan and Charelle (the woman in charge of the infants at the temple).

" It's time Anakin," Obi-wan said gravely. Anakin turned back desperately to the bundle in his arms. The baby girl looked close to tears, she could feel the torment raging away in her father and it was upsetting her. Somehow she was aware that she was losing him…she began to cry. Anakin felt any happiness drain from him as he heard her cries and he pulled her to his chest. He could feel that she was in agony and he couldn't comfort her…he was giving her away…giving up this precious child.

He stood up and walked over to the Jedi Masters and faced them. Then he handed his child over to Charelle. The instant she was out of his arms the baby began to scream and kick and Anakin ached to hold her again, but he knew he mustn't, he'd never let her go if he held her again. Charelle was about to turn and go.

" Wait!" Anakin said and he felt in the pocket of his cloak for the lightsaber handle he had made for her, he hoped someday she would complete it with the crystals. He placed it on top of the struggling child. " I want her to have this," he said coldly. Charelle nodded.

" Does she have a name?" she asked. Anakin nodded.

" She knows who she is, she'll let you know when she's ready," Anakin said gravely and he turned away from his daughter. Charelle nodded again and she walked out. Mace and Yoda followed, presumably they'd only come along in case there was trouble. The last Anakin saw of his child was a flailing hand, flailing out to reach to him, but it was too late…Mayco was gone, she'd lost her parents from the moment she was born, and Anakin was no longer a father…


	4. 3 Revelations

The revelation 

The tranquillity of the temple was welcoming as Yoda closed his eyes. All the younger students at the temple were asleep and all the older ones were engaged in meditation. It was at this time that he could truly meditate without being distracted by anything.

He calmed his mind and let his thoughts drain away, but there was one that kept on refusing to leave his head. He'd been conscious for a long time now about the power growing in the two-year-old Mayco Skywalker. It was a thought that had been nagging at him since she proved how powerful she was over a year before on her first birthday.

He tried to push it from his mind, but it wouldn't give in that easily. Every time Yoda thought he'd done it, her face would suddenly appear in his mind's eye, or he would hear her voice, or feel her presence. Her presence was very strong, and even though she was half way across the building in the nursery, Yoda could still sense her clearly. Yoda was surprised to find her not asleep like all the other infants, but awake and thinking about events she had experienced that day.

Yoda attempted to push her from his mind once more and he succeeded and began his meditation. Half an hour later though, he was forced out of his meditation as a vision came to him quite suddenly. In this vision he saw himself teaching Mayco. The vision was one of the clearest Yoda had ever had and it made him frown…what could it mean? Was he to teach the young child himself? Should she not join the normal training programme with her peers? It was an interesting idea. Certainly, if he were to take her training into his own hands her skills would improve in leaps and bounds, but maybe that was too fast. They did not want to lose this child by sending her into battle too quickly, but if it came to the worst, then she would need to be highly trained to deal with it! One thing was for sure, this child was too important to the Jedi to lose…

Yes…Yoda decided he would train her, he would become her mentor. Once that was settled he tried to push the thoughts from his mind again, but now there was something else nagging at him; something that was eluding his consciousness…something he couldn't quite put his finger on…it was to do with the child…

Ignoring this thought he started meditating again and he was successful for a lot longer this time. For hours he sat in complete serenity until suddenly his senses were hit by a barricade of thoughts and visions.

…Mayco is balance…

Where had that thought come from? Could it be? No! Yoda couldn't dream of it…the thought was too radical…too extreme surely, but it would explain…NO!

Yoda grew agitated, these thoughts were disturbing and unwelcome, he had not foreseen this, it had not been prophesised…

Oh but it has, a voice said in his mind, It has been prophesised all along... Anakin Skywalker is the one who will bring balance to the Force, what if that balance comes in the form of this child? Could she be the balance that has been foretold?

Yoda couldn't quite get his mind round these new thoughts…but if they were true…then the child had just become infinitely more important and precious than was first thought.

Yoda broke out of his meditation feeling very uneasy and disgruntled. Yes, he would tutor the young Skywalker himself until she was of age to become someone's Padawan. He left the chamber thinking that he'd not been so distracted since the time he'd tried to meditate when the older Padawans were holding a ball to celebrate their coming of age…what a mess!


	5. 4 The reunion

The Reunion 

Anakin could barely contain his excitement as he paced the corridor outside of the nursery rooms in the temple. He'd been waiting for what seemed like forever for this moment. He'd been forced to give up his child the day she was born; that had been bad enough, but then he'd been forced to stay away for six months whilst she adjusted to being without him. He knew it was necessary, but every single spare moment of those six months, his mind had wandered to the nursery, and he'd thought of his precious daughter, wondering what she was like, wondering if she still had his eyes…

He was caught up in these thoughts when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. He didn't need to look round to know it was his Master.

" Good morning Master," Anakin said cheerfully, eventually tearing his gaze away from the nursery door to catch Obi-Wan's eye. Obi-Wan was smiling warmly at him.

" Good morning," Obi-Wan replied. " How long have you been waiting here?" Anakin sighed.

" Pretty much since I woke up," he answered, returning his gaze back to the door, willing it to open. Obi-Wan chuckled.

" Don't get your hopes up," was all he said and he too took to watching the door in silent reverie. After ten more minutes of waiting, the door finally slid open and Obi-Wan and Anakin were hit by the barricade of sound and the jumble of smells, which accompanied the nursery. Charelle, the Jedi Knight in charge of the nursery stepped out into the corridor smiling warmly at the two men.

" Hello, it's good to see you again," she said, directing her attention mostly to Anakin. He smiled and bowed his head to her. " I'm afraid we might have to delay your visit gentlemen, young Mayco is throwing a tantrum," Charelle told them.

" My Padawan only wishes to see her, we do not intend on staying long," Obi-Wan said quickly, sensing Anakin's distress. Charelle frowned and pondered their request; eventually she nodded and beckoned for them to follow her through the crowded main nursery room. It was full of infants and carers engaging in different social activities, most of them laughing and smiling. Once on the other side of this room Charelle led them through a series of intricate corridors until eventually they rounded a corner and arrived in a corridor filled with the sounds of an upset infant. Anakin exchanged a grin with Obi-Wan that was filled with boyish excitement.

She's sure got some lungs on her that's for sure Anakin told Obi-Wan through the Force. Soon Charelle stopped outside of a door.

" Now are you sure you want to see her now, she can get very trying when she gets like this and absolutely nothing calms her down, we just have to wait it out," she explained, but she could tell from the impatient look on Anakin's face that nothing could stop him from seeing her now. So she opened the door and the infant's screams poured out into the corridor. Charelle walked in and the men followed her into a small room, filled with nursery workers, all huddled around what Anakin presumed was his daughter, but they were obstructing his view, so he couldn't see.

" Ladies, Mayco has some visitors, if you wouldn't mind leaving," Charelle told her workers and the ladies left quickly revealing the infant. Anakin felt tears forming in his eyes as he caught his first glimpse of her. She truly was beautiful, even though her face was scrunched up in tears and in anger. She had the same blue eyes he'd found so hard to resist six months ago, and her once blonde wispy hair had turned into thick wavy locks of golden hair.

" Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet our most difficult charge Mayco," Charelle told them and they both moved to her side. Anakin reached out to sense what the child was thinking…hoping she would remember him. He nearly cried out when he sensed that she was only mildly interested in who these strange men were, she didn't actually remember him at all. Obi-Wan sensed his despair.

" May we hold her?" he asked Charelle.

" If you can brave her fury," Charelle said sounding amused. Obi-Wan smiled and her and then turned on Anakin.

" Go on then," he instructed. Anakin looked and him worriedly, but reached out to pick up his child anyway. The instant he touched her he felt a surge of raw emotion flood his senses, but what was even more remarkable was that the second he touched her, her cries ceased and as he picked her up she began to smile. Charelle's jaw literally dropped.

" By the Prophets, how did you manage that?" she gasped. " The connection you share with her must still be a powerful one…"

" Not powerful enough for her to remember who I am," Anakin said gravely, but as he spoke he smiled into the young face of his daughter. He could sense her feelings clearly now, she liked him, she felt safe around him, and she felt happy to be held by him. Anakin smiled when he sensed these feelings.

" That's right," he told her. " I won't ever let any harm come to you," he told her, and the baby smiled at him, a sight that Anakin kept in his mind's eye as the two men left the nursery hours later. Obi-Wan could sense mixed feelings in his Padawan; there was the pain he felt with Mayco not remembering who he was, but there was also joy, because she'd been happy to see him.

" So you are to come again tomorrow?" Obi-Wan eventually asked. Anakin smiled and nodded.

" And the day after that, and the day after that, and every day until either I die, or she tells me to stop coming," he said cheerfully and so he did…


	6. 5 The birthday surprise

The birthday surprise 

Anakin looked nervously from one stuffed animal to the next, they all looked the same, how was he supposed to tell which one would be the ideal gift for his daughter's first birthday? His main gift was a beautiful wristband, which was made out of solid silver, but he felt she'd much rather appreciate a child's toy. So he'd gone on a quest to find her something cuddly. Over the last six months he'd really got to know the child and he knew that she liked the colour blue and was a very affectionate cuddly infant. So his first choice of gift would be something blue and cuddly. The moment he entered the toyshop in a large shopping complex near the Temple he realised his error; he was sure there were more cuddly blue toys in that shop than there were stars in the sky. He was just about to make a choice between a blue Wookiee and a blue spherical smiling character from a children's programme when the sales assistant approached him.

" Need any help sir?" she asked kindly. Anakin turned on her quickly looking relieved to get some help.

" Uh yeah," he said. " I need to find a present for my daughter, it's her first birthday and I wanted to get her a blue cuddly toy…I hadn't realised there would be quite so many!" The sales assistant smiled warmly.

" Well there's always Kito," she said indicating a large brightly decorated shelf full of dolls of the same character…it was some sort of fantastical animal which had a very broad smile and bright green eyes. " He's a favourite with all kids at the moment," she explained. Anakin picked one of them up awkwardly and stared at it dubiously. Five minutes later though he was leaving the shop with the cuddly toy safely wrapped up and in a carrier bag. Within moments he was back at the temple. Obi-Wan met up with him in the speeder hanger.

" Bit late aren't you?" he asked kindly. " Don't want to miss the party after all do you?" Anakin sighed and climbed out of the speeder.

" You would not believe how difficult it is to buy a simple present these days," he countered and they made their way to the nursery quickly. When they got there they entered the main room and found it full of carers and infants, dressed in party hats. Anakin scanned the room until he saw Mayco, who was reaching out her arms to him. He smiled and quickly crossed the room to pick her up.

" Happy birthday kid," he said cheerfully kissing her cheek.

" She's been waiting for you, I haven't seen her this restless in a long time," Charelle told Anakin as she walked over to greet him.

" I got caught up in town trying to find her a present," he explained solemnly. " Which reminds me…" He quickly put Mayco down on her feet and then sat down at her side, pulling the present out of the bag as he went. This he handed to Mayco who giggled manically, not quite understanding the concept of presents, but knowing they were nice to receive. Charelle helped her open it and when Mayco saw the cuddly toy she giggled even more manically and hugged the animal. Then she toddled over to Anakin and crawled in his lap, ready for a cuddle herself.

" Wait there's more," he said and out of the depths of his cloak he pulled out the case with the wristband in it. This he opened and he showed it to Mayco. She didn't understand this one at all and just stared at it sucking on one of her fingers gormlessly, but Charelle marvelled at it.

" Oh it's beautiful Ani," she said kindly. " Why don't you put it on her?" Anakin nodded and slipped the wristband over Mayco's tiny wrist, before tightening it to the right setting. Mayco stared at it and fingered it with her other hand, but then her attention was drawn back to the Kito doll. Anakin felt a warm glow deep inside him; he had made her this happy and she knew it…it was such a good feeling.

" The toy's a success then?" Obi-Wan asked walking over to the small group. Anakin nodded proudly to his master.

" I should thank that sales assistant, she really saved my neck on this. If it had been down to me, then I would probably have bought her something that would scare her or something," Anakin said contemplating sending her some flowers or something, but his thoughts were interrupted by Mayco tugging on his shirt demanding his attention, so she could show him some of her other presents and so the afternoon continued. Some distinguished Jedi Masters made an appearance to wish the young child a happy birthday. One of these was Mace Windu, who after spending five minutes with the child took Obi-Wan to one side.

" I hadn't realised she was growing so strong in the Force," he said sounding shocked. Obi-Wan nodded soberly.

" She grows more powerful every day," he agreed. " When she is ready to start training I feel she'll develop extremely quickly…"

" Which all things considered can only be a good thing, I must inform Yoda of her strength, he'll be most interested," Mace said.

" As is Chancellor Palpatine," Obi-Wan said gravely. " His interest in Mayco has increases greatly these last few months…"

" You do not trust him?" Mace interrupted, sensing Obi-Wan's feelings. Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head.

" I'm afraid I don't…" It was true that Palpatine had shown an uncanny interest in this baby, just like he'd taken an interest in her father. Obi-Wan was afraid that if what Dooku had said about a Sith being in control of the senate was true, then he would have complete control over two very powerful Jedi. These unhappy thoughts were interrupted by all the carers bursting into a birthday song for young Mayco and Obi-Wan couldn't help but join in, abandoning his train of thought. The song marked the end of the celebrations, all the children were growing restless and in need of naps, so the carers went about bringing them all to bed. Anakin and Obi-Wan were entrusted with putting Mayco to bed, so the two of them carried her to her room and placed her in her cot, still clutching the Kito toy.

" Sweet dreams little one," Anakin said softly kissing her head. She was already asleep, so they crept out of the room silently and left the nursery with happy memories of the afternoon to occupy their minds…

XXX

Meanwhile across the temple, in one of the laundry shafts two men also crept silently, but their minds were occupied only with the mission they'd been set - to eliminate the child of Senator Amidala.

" So Zek, tell me again, how do we know we won't burst in on a room full of Jedi?" one of them asked. Ramer was the less intelligent of the two, and had been employed mainly for his brute strength. His partner Zek was the brains of the outfit. Zek was a wily man, and had been raised to be an assassin his whole life.

" Because I know exactly where the nursery is and the nursery is not going to be full of Jedi knights you idiot!" Zek snapped angrily; how many times was he going to have to repeat this until that oaf actually understood. " You just concentrate on bashing in the heads of any silly nurse-maids that get in our way and let me handle all the difficult stuff!"

" Yeah, but surely if…" Ramer began, but Zek slapped him across the back of his head.

" Don't even try and work it out Ramer, we don't want you to wear yourself! I'll be needing you later!" Zek hissed and so Ramer gave up and just led the way through the shaft until they reached the laundry bay. Inside there was only one worker, who Ramer dealt with, with a swift blow to the head before the poor woman could send for help.

" Right, now if my instructions are correct, we should be able to take this shoot all the way to the floor we need," Zek told Ramer, indicating one of the many laundry shoots. He climbed in and looked up into the pitch-blackness. " Now I'm going to need to count carefully here, so don't follow me until I've worked it all out okay? Think you can manage that you imbecile?" Ramer nodded his jaw hanging open in concentration. Zek nodded to himself and then shot his harpoon gun (the guns used to lift people up heights) up into the endless darkness. He felt it connect and then went about lifting himself and counting carefully the seconds it took for him to rise. He'd calculated how high up the floor was, and how fast he travelled when he was attached to the gun. Soon he reached the right point and he slipped out of the shoot through the hatch.

" Right come on Ramer," he called down the shoot and Ramer joined him moments later with much fumbling. " I can't trust you to do anything can I?" Zek snapped and he rolled his eyes before pulling out a pistol and leading the way through the corridors, carefully counting steps and doors. Eventually they reached the nursery and they forced the doors open and burst in shooting anything in sight…

Inside her room Mayco opened her sleepy eyes sensing the danger. She sat up in her cot and felt fear rising in her. She knew that they had come for her, and she knew unless she did something about it, they would kill everyone before they got to her. So she used the railings on the cot to climb up onto the edge and fall to the ground. It hurt and she cried a bit, but then set off on her mission. She blew the door controls with the Force when she got so angry the door wouldn't open. Once out in the corridor she let the Force guide her to the main room. Once she reached it, the feeling of danger and the fear was pounding in on her head. So when she saw the two intruders she uncontrollably sent a huge wave of Force towards them knocking them out cold. Seeing the devastation on the room, the little girl dropped onto the floor and started bawling…

In his room across the temple Anakin woke up sweating. He knew that something had happened, so he leapt out of bed and ran out of the apartment he shared with his master without even changing. He reached the nursery within moments and walked in to find the disaster area. Bodies of carers and infants lay everywhere, the injured were crying out and the two intruders were shaking with convulsions. Across the room Mayco sat crying her eyes out. Anakin rushed to her side instantly and picked her up and she started calming down.

" What happened?" he asked the nearest injured carer and he helped the poor woman up. She explained everything to him. Anakin was in shock. " Mayco did that?" he gasped pointing to the two twitching men. The carer nodded scaredly. Anakin gulped and looked back into Mayco's eyes. She knew what he was thinking and she managed to convey a sense of duty to him. She had known what she was doing. It was a thought that worried Anakin…she was too powerful!

Hours later the injured were being treated in the infirmary and the dead had been taken away. Mayco had fallen asleep and was being guarded by some Jedi Knights whilst Anakin and Obi-Wan talked with the council. The council were very impressed that such a young child could deal with two intruders.

" We must accelerate her programme immediately," Mace explained. " Such a powerful child will be a great asset to us in the war!" Anakin was beginning to feel a little uneasy.

" Something to say have you Skywalker?" Yoda asked. Anakin nodded and cleared his throat.

" It's just, surely we should try and keep her safe if she's so powerful…I mean, we don't want to send her off to fight when she's young, just to get killed…she should be preserved right?" he said, trying to sound neutral, but failing.

" Concerned for your child you are," Yoda stated. " Surprised are you by the strength she has." Anakin nodded. " Surprised we all are. Agree with you I do, preserved and looked after she must be…"


	7. 6 Master Yoda

**Master Yoda**

The pair stared each other down, one with the patience and wisdom of a lifetime of experiences and hardship and the other with the innocence of barely any existence at all. Similarly sized they made a logical pair, but still people couldn't help but wonder why the venerable Master Yoda had chosen to take on that bizarre Naberrie girl as his personal student. He didn't trust her learning to control the Force to any other than himself, and though he was quite happy to delegate her knowledge of the Living Force to his comrades, he would trust _none_ other with the rest of her education.

" Good day young one," Yoda finally said to the young girl opposite him in the small training garden. The little girl cocked her large head to the side, very nearly toppling over. The sight made the old Jedi smile.

" Hello Master Yoda sir," Mayco replied sounding awed and for a moment her eyes wandered to the side of the garden where comforting Ani stood smiling at her. She set her jaw more firmly and looked back to the short green Jedi Master.

" To determine whether ready you are I have asked you here," Yoda said and he placed his walking stick gently down on a mound of moss before lifting two sparring sticks that the three-year-old younglings had received a little training with. He used the Force to send one flying at the young girl and with her lightning quick reflexes she caught it and quickly assumed a ready stance as they had been taught.

Before Mayco was aware of what was going on Yoda had lunged at her, without thinking she brought her stick up and fended him off. This didn't dissuade the little master, who assailed her again and again, each time being fended off, occasionally having to defend himself against a surprisingly quick counter attack. Of course, he wasn't attacking her very hard or fast, but yet he was very impressed. She had obviously mastered this form of combat very early on.

After about thirty passes he stepped backwards and waited to see how the girl would respond. He had a moment to feel pleased when she lunged at him in attack, carrying out some impressive moves for a three-year-old. She didn't falter once and after he had allowed her to demonstrate her prowess at the game he held up his hand using the Force to push her away.

To his utmost surprise she was ready for such an attack and waved it off, refusing to be pushed back.

" Stop," Yoda ordered sounding amazed. Mayco obediently dropped her sparring stick and stood back, assuming a watchful pose. Yoda quickly regained control and eyed the young girl in a new light. So, not only had she mastered control of her psychical skills, she had also mastered a level of control over the Force that many knights didn't even possess.

The test could have ended here. Yoda was already certain that she was capable of anything he could teach her, but there was more to be ascertained.

" Skywalker," Yoda finally spoke.

" Yes Master Yoda?" Anakin replied cautiously.

" Go." Ignoring Anakin's grumbling thoughts as he stalked out, Yoda focused on the girl, who as he suspected suddenly lost the degree of confidence that set her apart. She was paralysed for a moment with worry.

" Afraid are you," Yoda finally spoke once Anakin had left the room. Mayco's head twitched slightly to the side and she cloaked her emotions with a very well controlled mind. This alone impressed Yoda, but her dependence on Anakin was worrying. Yoda measured the girl up before suddenly using the Force to lift a stone and sent it flying towards the little girl. Her reflexes and skills were not diminished due to her confidence drop and she easily stuck out her hand and stopped the stone on its trajectory.

" Taught these skills you were not," Yoda finally spoke and he picked up his walking stick and ambled over to the girl. Mayco shook her head.

" I can just do things," she replied sounding almost apologetic, as though fearing early development wrong.

" Take you on as my student I will," Yoda said firmly. " Train hard you will have to!" Mayco nodded quickly. Without another word Yoda walked from the room. Mayco didn't dare move until she felt his presence dwindling from her mind. As soon as she was sure he'd gone she winced and rubbed her arm where at one point she had struck herself as she attacked the small Master.

Feeling very grumpy with her future mentor she hurried from the room into the corridor where Anakin was still waiting with a proud expression.

" You did so well!" he beamed as soon as Mayco walked out of the room. Mayco grinned stupidly for a moment.

" He wants to teach me," she said proudly. Anakin smiled back and started leading her towards the nursery. Of course he wanted to teach her, he thought to himself, she was going to be powerful beyond-belief one day.

XXX

Sitting in his usual meditation chamber Yoda was alone with his thoughts. He had not moved in three hours as the calm of mediation flowed over him. The calm and tranquillity of being one with the Force was a pleasant relief for the master who often got overwhelmed by the exuberance and disorder of the young initiates.

As far as meditative states went, this one had been pretty ordinary, but this was suddenly about to change. In a sudden blur of images Yoda was shown a possible future involving his new pupil. The thoughts were so painful and disturbing they brought him from his mediation panting. Across the room Master Windu watched him in surprise. He had come to seek out Yoda's council and had been patiently waiting for the esteemed master for nearly an hour.

" Master Yoda?" he asked sounding concerned. " Is everything all right?" Yoda looked up at him with wide eyes that spoke of nothing but sadness and grief.

" Begin training Skywalker's child immediately I must. In danger she is…"


	8. 7 Tio

Tio 

" Are you nervous?" Anakin asked the three-year-old child who sat in front of him across the table. She looked at him with wide icy-blue eyes, identical to his own.

" No," she said, and she wasn't lying to him. The truth was that she had been looking forward to meeting her new roommate for a long time now. Mayco had outgrown the nursery months ago and was definitely ready to grow up a bit. She was extremely developed and mature for her age, and the nursery was just holding her back.

" You all packed?" Anakin asked, trying to engage a conversation again, but Mayco merely nodded. Anakin felt disgruntled, why wasn't she talking to him? Normally she loved his visits and couldn't shut up, but now she'd not said a full sentence since he arrived. " Something wrong?" he asked. Mayco sensed his feelings and turned to stare him in the eye again.

" No," she said truthfully. Anakin could sense that she wasn't lying. So what was bothering her? Something had to be wrong! He suddenly had a thought that might cheer her up.

" Oh did I tell you? The council have granted Obi-Wan and I permission to take the two of you out to dinner this evening," he said. This got a reaction! Mayco's pretty face burst into a grin, but then her face lost all expression again. Anakin frowned, why wasn't she talking to him? Had he done something wrong?

" Have I done something?" he asked. Mayco rolled her eyes and giggled.

" No, I'm thinking," she said.

" About?"

" Stuff," was the only reply he received. Anakin sighed and slouched down in the chair, this was going to be a long afternoon if Mayco had suddenly turned all meditative on him. He sat watching her for a little longer until finally Obi-Wan joined them.

" Good afternoon Obi-Wan. Where have you been?" Anakin asked good-naturedly. Obi-Wan greeted them and sat down next to his former Padawan.

" I ran into trouble on my way here, Leivo Corran was causing trouble in one of the mess halls. Honestly, I don't know what we're going to do with that girl!" he sighed heavily. Then he turned on Mayco. " You're awfully quiet, something wrong?" Now it was Mayco's turn to give a frustrated sigh.

" I'm fine! Really!" she said sounding amused. Obi-Wan looked blank and looked to Anakin for help.

" She's thinking apparently," Anakin explained smiling. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows.

" Oh really? About what?"

" Won't say." Not another word was spoken by the group until half an hour later, when Mayco broke out of her thoughts and looked Anakin in the eye.

" Will she like me?" she asked soberly.

" What Tio?" Anakin asked. Mayco nodded. " Of course she will. Why wouldn't she? Is that what's been bothering you?" Mayco nodded again and she furrowed her brow.

" I want her to like me," she finally said sounding unsure. " I want a real friend." Anakin and Obi-Wan chuckled in mock-offence.

" Oh and I suppose we're not real friends?" Obi-Wan laughed. Mayco shook her head soberly.

" No, you're old," she said. The two men laughed again. Where had this attitude come from? It was so uncharacteristically un-Mayco that they hadn't believed it possible for her to behave so seriously. Normally this child would be bouncing off the walls. In the whole time that Anakin had known his daughter, she'd never acted so seriously, or sat still for so long for that matter.

" Just because we're old, that doesn't mean we can't be real friends," Anakin said smiling at the girl. She shrugged her small shoulders and looked around herself eagerly. They were sitting in the main room of the nursery waiting for Mayco's new roommate to arrive. The nursery was such a big area that in all probability, Mayco had never met Tio.

" They're late," she finally said checking the time on the chronometer on the wall. " Why?" she asked the men sounding worried.

" Maybe Tio isn't packed yet," Obi-Wan suggested, but just as he said this Mayco's eyes widened and she gazed across the room to where one of the carers was standing by the door with a small girl around Mayco's age. The girl was a gangly thing, with dark blonde hair, large grey eyes and a pale complexion. She was pretty, and yet had the look of someone who was extremely mischievous. The moment the two girl's locked eyes there was an instant connection.

What Tio saw as she looked across the hall was an extremely pretty blonde girl who was shorter than herself, yet much skinnier, who had the largest blue eyes she had ever seen and who's skin was the colour of muddy sand. She looked like she had spent her whole life living in the sun, though she had never left the temple before.

The carers started steering their young charge across the hall as Mayco climbed from her chair and walked out to meet her new roommate. They met somewhere near the middle and both girls grinned cheekily at the other.

" Hi," Tio said.

" Hi! I'm Mayco," Mayco replied sounding beside herself with excitement.

" Well, would you two like to see your new room?" Charelle asked coming forward. She had been watching these two in a calculative way. Ever since she had been presented with the rota for the new classes of initiates graduating the temple crèche (the Third sets) she had been frantically trying to pair children to each other on the blind hope they would get along. When she was presented the rota for the most gifted initiates heading up into the Third sets (the children in First Set Three) her eyes had been drawn to Mayco and Tio. She knew them well and she knew that they were perfect for each other, but yet she had her doubts over whether they were too similar for each other. The two toddlers turned on her with large beaming smiles. " I'll take that as a yes," she laughed and turned around to look at the men, who were grinning at her from the table. " Wave goodbye Mayco, you'll see them later," she instructed and Mayco barely managed to do as she was told, as she was too caught up in a grinning contest with her new best friend. With this Charelle led the pair out of the room leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan grinning at each other.

" So far so good," Obi-Wan said happily and he and Anakin got to their feet heading out of the nursery in the opposite direction to the way Charelle was leading the girls. All the way to the initiates quarters the two little girls remained silent, furtively stealing grinning glances at each other every other step or so. Eventually Charelle stopped in front of a door on a long corridor filled with the sounds of little children just like the girls, meeting their new roommates for the first time.

" Here we are," Charelle told them and she reached out and pressed the controls, opening the door onto the bright and airy twin room that would become 'home' to the girls. Only the sight of the room managed to tear the girls' attention away from each other, and without thinking they both stepped forward shoulder-to-shoulder as they stepped over the threshold, looking around with dumbstruck expressions. Once more Charelle beamed internally with the knowledge that she had made a right choice in teaming up these two girls.

The room was a standard twin with a red carpet, sand-coloured walls and a massive window that covered the entire outwards-facing wall. The beds looked huge to the small girls as they were used to the tiny beds they had grown up in at the nursery. Though they didn't realise they were doing it, they veered in opposite directions, Mayco heading for the bed on the left and Tio the one on the right, still gawping at the seemingly large and impressive room.

" Girls?" Charelle finally interrupted, and the two three-year-olds turned around and looked up at her expectantly. "Let me show you a few things," she said kindly and she walked into the room opening the cupboards that stood at the foot of Tio's bed. " Remember last week we measured you for your new clothes?" she asked kindly and the two girls nodded eagerly. " Look," Charelle said and she opened one of the doors showing an array of outfits the girls would need.

" Wow!" the two little girls awed and they rushed over to feel the fine fabrics, before casting their grubby nursery clothes grim looks.

" The clothes on this side are yours Tio," Charelle explained indicating the right hand door and then she pointed to the left. " And in here Mayco, you will find yours. Now I know you two are big girls and can dress yourselves, but if you ever have difficulties and you can't help each other, then we will come and help. Is that understood?" The two girls nodded obediently. " Now," Charelle continued and she indicated two large chests and two wall-fitted cabinets beside each bed. " This is where you may store your toys and through this door," she carried on getting to her feet and walking over to the door at the foot of Mayco's bed. " Leads to your private washroom." The girls scrambled to follow as quickly as their legs could carry them and they poked their heads round to see the small bathroom, complete with toilet and washbasin.

" Woah," they chorused.

" The shower facilities are at the end of the hall, but you needn't worry about that, we will assist you when the time comes for now," Charelle beamed at them. " Very well, I shall leave you now, while I am gone some of your carers are going to come and help you unpack, then they shall leave you. You are going to have to get used to looking after your own needs from now on. When you hear a chime, I want you to wait patiently in an orderly fashion outside your door. Am I understood?" she said somewhat firmly – she was after all talking to two children already famed for being loose wires. The two girls nodded dolefully and with that Charelle smiled at the one last time before heading out, leaving the two girls grinning stupidly at each other.

" This is so cool!" Mayco finally erupted and she ran through over to her bed rather clumsily. Tio grinned and mimicked her new best friend and within no time the two girls were bouncing up and down on their new beds.

" What's your bestest colour?" Tio asked through her giggles.

" Red," Mayco replied firmly. " What's yours?"

" Blue," Tio replied.

" Hey, that's my second bestest colour!" Mayco cried out gleefully causing Tio to giggle. " What planet are you from?"

" Alda…Ald…Alderaan," Tio said slowly, trying desperately to pronounce her home world correctly.

" Cool," Mayco awed. " I don't know where I'm from."

" You look like you're from a hot place," Tio said with a furrowed brow. " Mistress Silva told me when your skin goes brown, then, then you're from a hot place." Mayco pouted slightly in thought.

" Maybe I'm from Tatooine, Ani my friend, he's from Tatooine," she said. " He's like my daddy," she explained.

" So then you're from Tat…Tattoo?" Tio began and once more she fumbled her words.

" Tatooine," Mayco corrected with a big grin.

" Yeah," Tio exclaimed happily. " If your daddy is from there, then you are from there!" Mayco grinned and shrugged, before finally dropping down onto the bouncy mattress.

" He's not my daddy," she said sounding a little sad. " He feels like my daddy…but I don't think he is."

" Oh," Tio said simply, dropping down too and looking at the bedside table. " I like you," she suddenly said firmly giving her new roommate a big grin. Mayco grinned back.

" I like you too!" she said and the two little girls giggled once more, they didn't have time to get even more acquainted though as the door slid open and Mistress Silva and Mistress Okara walked in laden with bags and boxes full of personal belongings and art pieces the girls had accumulated over the years.

" Hello you two," Mistress Silva said happily and she dropped down Tio's belongings on the bed. " I have all your pretty things here Tio, but first, let's make your bed with the sheets you picked out last week shall we?" On the other side of the room Mayco had bounced off her bed because she too had been told this was the plan of action. For a moment the girls were temporarily overcome with more giggles when they noticed they had picked the same sheet pattern, but they soon recovered when they were asked to help.

Within no time the beds were made and the two girls went about helping their carers unpack their possessions. Tio was quick to notice that Mayco's collection of toys and art supplies was vastly greater than her own as was Mayco who soon saw her new friend eyeing up her vast collection.

" Do you want to share my toys?" she asked timidly, afraid her friend would say no, but Tio just grinned broadly.

" Yes!" she said firmly and she and Mayco went about trawling through the toys while the poor carers tried to instil some order in the already-messy room.

" Mayco where shall I put Kito?" Mistress Okara suddenly interrupted holding up the very worn and loved stuffed toy Mayco had cherished since receiving it on her first birthday from Anakin.

" Oh," Mayco exclaimed and she reached out and took the toy. " He sleeps with me," she told Tio and placed the toy on her pillow, tucking it in lovingly. It didn't take long to unpack and after the carer's had added the finishing touches by pinning up photos and drawings on the now cluttered walls they retreated and paused at the door.

" Come on girls, come and look at this," Mistress Okara told them with a smile and the girls rushed over and looked up at the door where a sign had been added saying 'Tio and Mayco live here'. The girls were slightly adept at reading as they had developed quicker than non-Force sensitive children and knew what the sign said.

" Cool," they both chorused once more causing their carer's to smile at them.

" Very well, we will see you soon," Mistress Silva said and she and Mistress Okara bowed to the girls before heading off down the corridor leaving the two girls to get better acquainted.

By the time the chime went the two girls were inseparable, and already a quirky roll assignment had developed. Mayco was the leader and Tio her faithful sidekick. The two girls jumped to their feet at the sound of the bell and rushed out to wait in the corridor, giggling fit to burst. This is when they noticed the other three-year-olds on the corridor and when they first noticed their neighbours: two small girls very much like themselves. The four children grinned at each other when their eyes fell on the others and instantly another friendship was made.

" We're Mayco and Tio, who are you?" Mayco called out to them.

" I'm Breiyden and this is Kara," the taller of the two girls said gleefully. " What class are you in?"

" First," Tio replied happily.

" Us too!" Kara beamed and for a moment the girls were reduced to fits of giggles once more. Before they had a chance to find something else to giggle over a stream of Jedi orderlies entered the corridor headed by Charelle.

" Children," she called to the mass of three-year-olds, who instantly hushed down as she spoke. " It is time to meet the children from your classes. You all know which classes you have been assigned to. As we call out the class names you will go quietly with the designated orderly to the mess hall where your lunch is waiting."

" First set three please?" a male orderly called as he stepped out from the group. Mayco and her friends instantly rushed forward along with some boys that had been waiting on the other side of the corridor. The orderly got them to line up whilst he counted the bobbing heads. He only counted nine and was about to take a register when the last member of the set appeared from the other end of the corridor. She was a very tall mousy looking child, who was looking unpleasantly at her fellow classmates.

" Very well," the orderly said and he led the children away from their hyperactive set mates. He didn't stop, nor allowed them to speak until they wandered into the mess hall. Several of the younger sets were eating and enjoying their free time. They all stopped and stared as the littlest members of the temple going children walked in. The fourth set waved to a few of the friends they had made when they had lived in the nursery the year before, but in general the looks the children were receiving were looks of slight disdain from sets seven and eight. The children huddled together as their orderly led them to one of the tables and helped them take their seats. He took a seat at the head of the table.

" Why don't we start by introducing ourselves? My name is Karo Zak," he explained kindly. " And I am going to be showing you round today." He then looked to his right hand side where an impossibly tiny boy was sat. " Why don't you tell us your name and where you're from?"

" My name is Julian Durron," the boy murmured shyly. " And I'm from the Denari system." He quickly looked to his side where a boisterous boy was sat.

" I'm Oskar Danu," he said proudly, his confidence shining through. " And I was found here on Coruscant!" Sitting beside him was Mayco and she tried to match his attitude, subconsciously battling him for the title of class ringleader.

" I'm Mayco Naberrie," she said conveying more power than she meant to via the Force. " I don't know where I'm from," she said more humbly. Tio next introduced herself, followed by Emas Dakara from Kessel (earning him an awed look from his peers, who had heard of the labour colony on Kessel from the gossiping nursery droids), Kara Na'Nta from a moon off Bespin, Breiyden Assaria, also unaware of her origins, Nathanié Tessari from the Deyer Colony, Derion Sabach from an unknown outer rim planet and finally by the unpleasant girl Anis Darkin from Corellia.

Once everyone had been introduced Karo got to his feet.

" I am going to get your lunch, why don't you get to know each other while I'm gone?" he suggested. The kids stayed silent until he was out of hearing range, when they all started talking at once, with the exception of Anis, who haplessly stared at the only friend she had made in the temple: a similarly socially rejected girl in fifth set three.

The nonsensical babble immediately died down and the children grinned at each other, finally one child managed to speak.

" Master Yoda is training you isn't he?" Oskar asked Mayco sounding impressed. She nodded proudly and the others stared at her in awe.

" Why?" Kara asked. As though all their heads were being operated by the same brain, the children looked from Kara and then back to Mayco as one. Mayco shrugged.

" He never said why," she replied.

" You get to play with Jedi knights don't you?" Derion asked and once more all the heads at the table swiveled in unison. Mayco started to feel a little uneasy that she was already infamous to the other children.

" Just Ani and Obi-Wan," she replied as though it weren't a fact that was worthy of the awe in their faces. However, revealing that she was friends with two heroes of the Jedi only increased the awe in the faces of her new friends.

" Master Skywalker?" Emas gasped.

" And Master Kenobi?" Breiyden added in shock. Had Mayco been aware that she was striving for ringleadership of the group then at this moment she would have been reeling from her success, as now her reputation was stamped in the minds of the others. Oskar didn't stand a chance of grappling back the esteemed position he had always held in his part of the nursery.

" But you're really from Kessel?" Tio suddenly asked looking directly at Emas. Everyone snapped out of their awed silence and looked now to Emas hopefully. Mayco smiled gratefully at her new best friend and conveyed her thanks through the force.

_Thank you_, she said. Tio suddenly spun around and stared at Mayco in surprise. She had not yet learnt how to speak mind to mind yet.

" How did you do that?" she whispered. The others were too busy listening to Emas describe his home colony to pay attention to the two girls.

" I'll teach you," Mayco said with a smile.

" What else can you do?" Tio asked sounding impressed.

" Lots," Mayco replied with a grin. " I'll teach you everything!"


	9. 8 Fledgling

**Fledgling**

Where does all the time go huh? It seems like just yesterday that Padme and I were looking down at our daughter's face, all tired and scrunched up from the ordeal of being born, promising each other that no matter what, we'd always love her and look out for her. I think about that day all the time, wishing to go back in time and change things. Back then I was too innocent…too naïve, I would have obeyed the council no matter what they asked of me, but now… If things were different and Mayco were born now, then I would fight for her the same way Qui-Gon once fought for me.

I'm a Jedi Knight now. I make my own decisions, but it's too late. Mayco's five now, if I were to tell her the truth now I could jeopardise her future…and her feelings for me. She's powerful and with every passing day she finds new ways to astound everyone around her. She slips sometimes. I've felt it and it scares the hell out of me. Every now and then I've felt her sliding towards the dark side. She's got a terrible power deep inside her that I am ashamed to say, she inherited from me. I saw it again today…

There is nothing so frightening as seeing your own child muster this terrible energy about her tiny self, watching her usually large and beautiful eyes cloud over darkly, feeling anger and hatred coursing through her where normally there is only playfulness and life. I worry for her. I haven't yet approached the council about this yet, nor have they approached me, but I'm sure they know. How could they not? Mayco is such a powerful little being that she bends the Force around her, and when she looses it, the ripples she causes can be felt for miles around…if not more. A few months ago I was on a mission several light years away I felt it even then. My ears started ringing and my skin crept as though a thousand little spiders were crawling all over me. I know I'm her father and I'm heavily attuned to her, but still, the council are wise and intuitive, I'm sure they know about her tendencies. I'm just waiting for the day I get the call saying her training is to be abandoned.

She's looking at me now, large soulful eyes alert and filled with a sorrow that only one so young could pull off. The innocence her features exude makes the pain in her eyes poignant. She doesn't remember the heartbreak I caused her when I gave her up, but she carries with her still the burden of rejection. I feel it every day, the sorrow she hides from everyone, even from herself. I believe it to be my fault. Maybe if I weren't so close, then I wouldn't remind her of it so much. I'm not sure what she's thinking; she's getting better at hiding it these days.

"Anakin," she finally asks, her childish voice causing the corners of my mouth to twitch, but I can't smile. I can't! I'm really not the galaxy's best disciplinarian, but I have to try, I have to let the council see that my continuing to be a part of her life is a good thing. "Are you mad at me?" I hang my head and give her a solemn expression, which intensifies the heartbreak in her blue expressive eyes…she's got my eyes.

"I'm not mad," I say softly. "I'm disappointed." Ah the cliché, but it works. I remember the days when Obi-Wan's approval meant everything to me. Whenever I disappointed him, I felt lower than I ever possibly could had I merely angered him. Mayco evidently feels the same and she hangs her head, her dark lashes lowering, pushing away the pain of my words. For a moment she's truly Padme's daughter; a miniature of her beautiful mother and this revelation makes me feel even more wretched than I already do.

"I didn't mean to kill him," she suddenly blurts out, looking up with a creased brow, and Padme's image is gone, now she's all me. "He was trying to hurt me and Tio. He was trying to…"

"I know," I say gently and she falls silent, looking down at her hands, flexing her unusually large fingers (gets that from me too I'm afraid) as though she's disgusted with them. I can't blame her. It's never easy to take a life, especially when you're so young.

"I didn't mean to," she repeats dejectedly and I believe her. As she has grown a little older she's got better at controlling her emotions. Her mind is much more organised than it was when she was a baby, and yet still part of her wild and turbulent nature remains ever close to the surface. On her first birthday she took her first life. Whether she wanted to or not, her lack of control led to their deaths and it happened again today. Like I said…she has a terrible power. Whenever it is unleashed…people get hurt.

I don't blame her for losing it today though. If she hadn't of killed that son of a bitch then I would have. _No one_ hurts my kid and gets away with it. No one! I think…I think it's the fact that she managed to save her own skin for once that's got me feeling rattled. No one's going to miss that felon who should have been incarcerated in some Republic institution somewhere, so I don't feel angry about her finishing him off, it's just the fact that she didn't need me!

In the past I've gladly put my life on the line to get Mayco and her partner in crime Tio out of scrapes. It's given me a purpose. I'm her father, and that means I protect her (when all other fatherly duties have been taken from me), but today… She saved herself. She's taking the first steps towards independence and she doesn't even realise she's doing it. She's flying the nest…and yet I've never built her one.

"Ani?" She looks up at me again and I can feel my resolve weakening.

"Yes?" She pauses and her mind-reading eyes bore into me for a moment. She knows that it's time to go. She knows that if she stays then something will happen that she can't control…that frightens her. She is so afraid of change it makes me ashamed. I did that to her.

"I'm going to meditate," she says weakly and she climbs to her feet, clutching slightly at her bruised side…my poor little girl.

"Okay," I manage and I look away before I give away even more of this horrible secret I'm going to have to pay for the rest of my life. The girl hovers slightly near my feet, fighting whatever internal battle is rooting her to the spot. Finally without warning she throws her small arms roughly about my neck and hugs me tightly. I return it gratefully, trying ever so carefully not to hurt her already painful injuries…to me, she's still that little child I gave up so many years ago, that little girl I was afraid to touch in case I broke her, and I don't think that'll ever change.

Already I can feel the torrent of emotions welling up in her beginning to still. I'm happy that I manage to have this effect on her. I'm happy at least some remnant of our connection remains in tact, not to be broken by the order to stay away, to keep anonymous, to give up your own child…

"Goodnight," she whispers before getting back to her feet and retreating.

"Night," I call after her as she disappears from sight, and I wonder who won that battle, she or I?

Does it matter? I guess not. Both of us have already lost the war, we lost the day we were separated, so whatever battles follow that day are meaningless really. Man I love that kid, but she's growing up and you know, all in all, that's really the most frightening thing of all, the fact that one day she might leave and I'll just be a memory of her youth. She's flying away…and I can't stop her.

XXX

_Coming up next: Mayco and Tio face the greatest challenge of their short lives as they travel to Ilum to pass the first trial in a series of many on their way to knighthood. If they succeed they can begin work on their lightsabers._


	10. 9 In the dark I found light

**In the dark I found Light**

" May, are you nervous?" Tio Al'lin asked her best friend in a hushed tone. They were sat to one side in the transport that was taking them and several other Jedi younglings to the Ice Caves on Ilum to face the first in a great number of trials they would have to pass on their journey to Knighthood. Every single youngling that passed through the Temple doors was keen to reach this stage of their training. It symbolised their passing into Initiatehood and their chance to build a lightsaber of their own. It was at this stage more than any other that younglings failed the tough life of the Jedi and became destined for the life of an orderly.

The path of the youngling was a harsh one. They were to stay for several weeks until every member of their party had succeeded or failed. One by one they would leave the temple at the foot of the sacred mountain and trek up to the caverns where they would face the trial. The younglings had heard several gory stories about what the trial composed, but more sensible ones believed it to be what it really was: a test of fears. Possible futures were shown to the younglings in the cavern, and those strong enough to face their fears were admitted into the deeper parts of the cavern where the crystals lay. Each youngling would be given time to search for the crystals they wished and then they had to make the difficult journey down to the temple again. All this had to be completed alone, without the help of the guardians. It was a formidable challenge for children so young.

Mayco and Tio were the only ones in their set to be chosen for this year's mission. In truth they had expected to be chosen, they were after all prodigal for their age and once they had turned six it was obvious they would be the first to go. They knew no one in the party, comprising of thirty hopefuls. They were the youngest and yet nobody feared for their success, back at the Temple their friends and guardians were already planning festivities for their triumphant return.

" Yes," Mayco replied truthfully. " I'm afraid that I'll get picked first…or last, either one would be bad!" Tio nodded hesitantly, that hadn't quite been what she meant.

" You know that's not what I mean," she said and she lowered her head. " Are you worried you're going to fail?" Mayco cocked her jaw out and exhaled slowly.

" No," she finally replied and she looked up to her friend with a small smile. " And you aren't either, not really."

" It would just be cool if we could get our lightsabers a year ahead of the others!" Tio said dreamily as she relaxed in her seat. Mayco smiled and nodded.

" We will, I can feel it," she said as she leant back next to her friend and let her head rest against Tio's. " Do you think we're there yet? It feels like we're there." Her instincts as usual, were intuitive and moments later they entered the atmosphere of an icy planet.

" Younglings," Master Aram'Le's calm voice called out to the children. " Shortly we will be arriving at the Temple of Ilum, you will gather your things and calmly make your way to the dormitories. There you may rest for a short while, before we gather for evening meal." The children's excitement sky rocketed, as the transport touched down in what looked like a rain forest. Mayco and Tio looked to each other for support, before collecting their packs and following the rest of the group off the transport and into the jungle surrounding the Temple.

They followed silently as the group of younglings split in two, and they wisely followed the girls into the dormitory designated for the female hopefuls. Being the youngest, and not yet infamous in the Temple, the girls got the last pick of the beds and found two secluded cots by a large window that looked out into the gloomy undergrowth.

" I can't believe we're here," Tio finally uttered and she seemed deflated. Mayco sat down opposite her and stared out the window, exhaling slowly.

" Four weeks of meditation and learning," she finally murmured to herself and shook her head gravely, it was rather overwhelming now they were here at the foot of the mountain. Tio nodded slowly and this is how they waited, wrapped up in their own thoughts. Their fellow hopefuls also remained silent, as though all their fears and hopes from the last few weeks were irrelevant now. All there was now was that mountain and everything it represented.

A chime rang in the distance, and the well-conditioned younglings climbed to their feet and filed out into the corridor, following an orderly down to the mess hall. As they walked in they were awed by the grandeur of this temple. Their own mess hall was a chaotic and bright affair, always crammed full of children and Padawans, this hall however was open to the rainforest and draped by vines and insects. It was a peaceful setting and from its stone benches and tables, the view of the mountain pass was clear. There was no escape from their task.

Mayco and Tio took seats at the end of the table, closest to the view of the pass as this seemed to be the least desirable place to sit. They sat side by side, huddled together for support.

" Tio?" Mayco finally whispered. Tio looked up at her vulnerably. " You know we were talking before?" Tio nodded. " Yes…" Mayco finally said significantly. Tio smiled a small smile and nudged her best friend comfortingly.

" You have nothing to worry about," she whispered back as large pots of stew and rice were placed on the table. The girls helped themselves to small portions and ate in silence. They were weary after the long journey. This seemed to be the view shared by most of the younglings, who all remained slightly meditative as they ate. Only one crowd of younglings chattered and they were a group of fourth set eights who were not expected to do very well. Most initiates who fell into the fourth, fifth and sixth classes of each set rarely passed. The drop out rate was so great that by the time the children reached ninth set, there were only three classes left.

Dinner was winding down when an orderly approached the girls. He leaned down by them and smiled kindly.

" You have an incoming transmission," he told them both and led them out of the dining hall to the only room in the temple, which bore any semblance to the modern world. He sat them down on the large seat and then activated the transmission. Instantly Anakin and Obi-Wan's smiling faces filled the screen. The two girls instantly felt a little better for seeing their friendly faces.

After everyone had greeted everyone else the girls leaned back together, scrunched together in the large seat. The men could easily see how nervous they were.

" We won't be able to contact you from tomorrow onwards," Obi-Wan explained. " You're to be free from any outside distractions." The girls looked to each other grimly.

" So we won't be able to call you and tell you how it went?" Mayco asked sounding upset.

" You sound afraid," Anakin said sounding concerned. The girls shrugged meekly in unison. " You know everything is going to be fine, there's no real danger."

" But you don't know Anakin, you never had to do this," Mayco grumbled. It was true; Anakin had not been subjected to this task. Obi-Wan however, had, and he chuckled.

" But I have young one, you will be fine," he said. " I know it seems like a daunting task when you first arrive, but in the morning it will seem much more manageable. I remember I was excited by the time my name was called."

" But what if we have to go first?" Tio asked sounding worried.

" It is better to go first than have to see everyone coming back triumphantly and having to wait. I was the third to last one to go and by that time most of my friends had been successful and could relax," Obi-Wan explained. " I on the other hand had to wait."

" Does anyone ever get lost?" Mayco asked humbly. Both men laughed a little and shook their heads.

" You won't get lost, the Force will guide you," Anakin replied. " Mayco sweetheart, you'll be fine, and you too Trouble."

" Trust us, the hardest task you will have to face is having to pick only one crystal out of a cave of thousands," Obi-Wan chuckled. The girls giggled and nodded. Obi-Wan may have been joking, but they had seriously considered the possibility of being unable to choose just one. Somewhere outside another chime rang. The girls knew this meant curfew, and they looked suddenly anxious again.

" You'll be fine," Anakin repeated comfortingly. " We've got the party waiting for you on your return." The girls smiled slightly.

" Good luck girls, may the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said seriously and with that the transmission cut out. With two heavy hearts the girls ambled into the now busy corridor and followed their peers to their room. They changed and washed in silence. It was only as they were tucked up in their uncomfortable beds that they spoke.

" They're right you know," Mayco said. " It is better to go first, rather than last. I hope they call my name tomorrow." Tio sighed and felt it was still better to go near the middle.

" Night May," she whispered as she rolled over and looked up at the mountain. Mayco sighed deeply.

" Night Tio," she replied before succumbing to her usual dreams of speedway racing victory.

XXX

Over the next few days the girls were disappointed that their names were not called. They kept to themselves in quiet and obscure areas of the temple. One day they found their way to the roof and chose this spot to meditate. Every evening they would gather with some of the other anxious younglings to see that day's trial-goer returning. Often they would be triumphant, but twice two girls had returned in tears saying they had failed.

On the eight day the girls entered the great hall as usual and joined their peers as they waited for the master's decision.

" Tio Al'lin, please step forward," Master Aram'le called out to the children. Tio inhaled sharply and Mayco felt a stab of jealousy, but this was soon buried under concern for her friend. She quickly grabbed for Tio's hand and squeezed it before the gangly girl ambled forward to receive the thick clothing and equipment she would be granted for the trip.

_Good luck Tio, I know you can do it!_ Mayco told her friend privately.

_I hope so_, Tio's anxious reply came. As the other children started filing out Mayco remained pinned to the spot, watching as the orderlies help kit Tio up. Finally her best friend was ready and was being led away to the base of the path. Mayco lowered her head and watched with a solemn expression. At the door Tio turned and the two nodded to each other.

For the remainder of the day Mayco couldn't meditate. She was too anxious and she kept passing in and out of a pseudo-meditative state in which waking nightmares plagued her thoughts. She was sat on the roof once more, with a perfect view of the mountain. She was watchful, every now and then scanning the mountain pass with her superior vision to see if she could spot her best friend, but she had long since passed from view.

As dusk started to fall Mayco descended into the temple and joined the usual gaggle of children. They let her pass to wait at the front of the queue. Tio was taking her time and several of the waiting children lost interest. The dinner chime had long since been called by the time Tio finally appeared up the path. By now Mayco was the only one left waiting. She took a few hurried steps forward, her face full of concern. Finally Tio came close enough that Mayco could see the big smile on her face.

" Yes!" Mayco cheered out loudly and she ran the rest of the way to her friend and embraced her exuberantly. " I'm so proud of you!"

" It was so amazing," Tio gasped sounding breathless, but then her face darkened. " But it was scary too May." Mayco helped her drag the kit back to the temple before dancing around her hyperactively.

" Let me see! Let me see!" she begged, and she waited as Tio took out a green crystal from her bag. " Wow," she gasped as the light fell on the many facets of the beautiful gem.

" Obi-Wan was right, it is really hard to pick just one, there's so many!" Tio admitted. " I know I said I wanted a blue one…but this one juts kind of called to me…" Mayco inhaled slowly and hung her head slightly. " Don't worry," Tio quickly said as she put her crystal away. " I'm sure they'll call your name tomorrow."

XXX

Tio was wrong. The next day Mayco's name was not called, nor was it called the day after that, or the day after that. In fact three weeks went by and Mayco's name was still not called. On the second to last day of their sojourn on Ilum she wandered down to the great hall with the other hopeful, a tall boy from the set above, and they waited side by side.

" Warer Kanlay, please step forward," Master Aram'le called and Mayco felt herself deflate.

'Unbelievable," she thought to herself and she stalked from the room finding Tio hovering outside.

" You're kidding," Tio exclaimed sounding put out. " You're gonna be the last?" Mayco didn't stop to talk, instead she stalked up to their usual spot and sat down grumpily as Warer Kanlay headed out on the mountain pass.

The day passed by excruciatingly slowly, but finally Mayco's time came. Not surprisingly they didn't bother to call out her name as she stood on her own in the middle of the great hall. The orderlies came to her with the heavy woollen lined clothes and they helped her into them. They were stiflingly hot down here in the temple, and became even hotter when they heaved a pack onto her back. Following this they led her down the corridor to the outside where the muddy path awaited her.

" May the Force be with you Mayco," Master Aram'le exclaimed as she set out full of excitement that it was finally her turn.

The path was easy to traverse for the first hour of her journey and to keep herself amused (and to ward off any creatures that may have been lurking) Mayco sang songs she and Tio had picked up from their trips to the Parada space port. It was a good thing no one was about, they would not have been impressed with the language the girl was coming up with.

Two hours into her trek the path suddenly became steeper and the snow had started falling. It became harder to see the path so Mayco pulled the goggles from her forehead over her eyes and seriously considered unpacking the ice picks she had been granted for this journey.

" Don't be a wimp May, just go for it," she admonished herself and she soldiered on. Funny, she thought, she couldn't remember Tio saying anything about how hard the snow made the journey. An hour later, and she had only managed to move a little distance up the mountain. Her stomach had started rumbling, so she found a little alcove in the icy rock and sat down to dig into her lunch.

" This sucks," she grumbled as she stared out at the blizzard that was now billowing the mountain pass. She ate the rations slowly, trying to come up with a plan of action. The pack was too heavy to cart all the way up the mountain in this weather, so she took out some vital equipment and left it in the alcove. It was now easier for her to continue, and using her ice picks mainly she dragged herself up the pass painstakingly slowly.

It was starting to get cold, and she wished she would have taken the extra furs that had been in the pack, but it was too late to go back now, so she wrapped her scarf around her face, so as only her goggle covered eyes were visible.

Her arms were getting tired and she was starting to feel a little dizzy.

" What's wrong with me?" she cried out as she lost her footing for the umpteenth time and slipped down on her bruised knees. Angrily she stuck her pick into the ice and was horrified when the whole sheet came away, dragging her with it. Despite herself she screamed and frantically tried to get some footing before she was dragged over the edge along with one of her picks. Finally the ice stopped shifting and Mayco allowed herself a moment to get her breath and nerves back.

" Well I can't do this with only one pick," she complained and looked over the edge to see her pick had fallen about fifty meters. With no other choice, she lay down on the pass and reached out with her hand, closing her eyes and focusing all her power on retrieving the pick. It came easier than she had expected, and soon she felt the metal connect with her outstretched hand.

More carefully this time she continued up the mountain. She carried on for hours, wondering why she was finding this so hard until finally she felt like giving up.

" I can't do this anymore," she wailed and she dropped to her knees. Just at this moment the blizzard cleared for a few seconds and up the pass Mayco saw the opening to a grotto. With newfound strength she managed to drag herself up to the grotto and inside the caves where it was thankfully warmer. As she pulled away the layers of clothing from her face she was amazed to find herself in the opening of the Ilum caves. Ancient runes covered the walls and she read them in amazement, learning of the history of the Jedi as she did so. They were becoming harder to read and before she was aware of why she was enveloped in darkness.

With shattered confidence from the ordeal of getting there Mayco carried on in the dark using the Force to guide her through the passages. There was no sound and she twitched whenever she unearthed some small shards of ice. Why wasn't she seeing possible futures? What was wrong with her?

" Hello?" she called out in paranoia. Nothing. There was nothing except the darkness. It started to feel claustrophobic and Mayco leaned against the wall panting. " Is there anyone there?" she yelled out. Panic taking over her senses she ran through the caverns in the darkness, waving her arms about trying to find anything or anyone in the dark, but no, she was all alone, and it terrified her.

She tripped and dropped to her knees in the dark, covering her face and hunching over she started to cry. For several moments she was terrified, but slowly she began to calm down as her logic and training took over. Sniffing she got back to her feet and inhaled slowly, trying to reach her aura of calm.

" You don't have to fear the dark," she told herself softly. " Fearing the dark is fearing nothingness…which is just dumb. You can't fear nothing!" Nodding to herself and feeling reassured she headed on, allowing the Force to guide her and then slowly she began to notice it was getting lighter. She could see the texture of the icy walls. Speeding up she hurried on until finally she could see twinkling lights in the distance. Seeing this she broke into a run and amazingly found herself in the twinkling crystal caverns.

" I made it!" she gasped and turned back to look at the dark corridor. With a frown she almost headed back the way she came. Surely she hadn't passed the trial? Where had the test been?

Finally it dawned on her and she darted back in shock. She had passed the test. Her greatest fear was being alone, her greatest fear was not knowing what was going on…she had passed. She had overcome her greatest fear.

With a slightly shaky lip she turned on the beautiful sight before her and gasped in wonder. How on earth was she going to pick juts one? Blue, grey, green, yellow…there were too many. She walked slowly through the magnificent crystal structures until finally she felt a niggling thought at the back of her mind. She turned her head to the left and walked in that direction, ignoring everything else she was heading to the one, she knew it. After five minutes she stopped and looked down at a pile of blue crystals in varying hues. In there somewhere was the one she sought.

She picked them apart, looking at each one in wonder, but then finally she touched upon one that sent shivers up her spine. She quickly freed it from the others and stared at it in wonder. It was a deep blue and sparkled with the light of a thousand suns. Quickly she put it in her pocket and looked up for an exit. Somehow she knew where she was going and she ambled in the same direction she had been heading. Half an hour later she could see a dark end to the tunnel. She didn't fear it this time and headed out to it. She had been expecting more dark caverns, but she was surprised when she walked out into the clear night sky. The blizzard had cleared and night had long fallen.

" Oh no," she whispered and she hurried down this new path, thinking everyone would be worried for her.

XXX

She wasn't wrong. The orderlies had soon learnt that a blizzard had struck up and they had sent out a search party to retrieve Mayco. All they found was her pack and they feared greatly for her. They had returned to temple feeling most disconcerted and had signalled to the nearest system to bring some cruisers so as they might search for her that way.

Tio was beside herself and she waited by the path vigilantly as the rain poured down. The orderlies had tried to send her to bed, but she would not be moved. Finally as the sun was beginning to rise and the rains were dwindling a small bedraggled figure appeared at the end of the path.

" Mayco!" Tio yelled out and her screams brought the orderlies running. Tio ran out to greet her friend and embraced her soaking form so firmly that Mayco winced.

" Ow Tio," she laughed. " Careful!"

" Sorry!" Tio said and she pulled back with large concerned eyes. " I thought you'd died! I thought you'd fallen to your death!"

" I know," Mayco said sadly and she hung her head. " I'm sorry I was so useless and kept you waiting this long."

" What are you talking about?" Tio demanded and she hugged Mayco again as the orderlies rushed to meet them. " You survived the blizzard, everyone was so worried about you. I can't believe you did it…wait…did you?" Mayco smiled and nodded and pulled out her crystal. Tio beamed at her as the orderlies pushed her out of the way to see that Mayco was alright. They would be in big trouble if the temple's prodigy was hurt.

An hour later Mayco was fed and her injuries from struggling through the blizzard had been looked at. She and Tio were now sat side by side on the transport, in a content silence.

" So what was your trial?" Tio finally asked breaking their content silence. Mayco grinned.

" Not now," she said softly. " Someday…someday I'll tell you, you have my word."


	11. 10 My little girl

**My little girl**

There she is, my daughter, my little girl, my little fuzzyhead. She looks so perfect, so happy and just…perfect. I should go over and congratulate her in a moment, but I'll just give her a few more minutes to bask in all the attention from the other initiates, I know how much she loves that.

I'm so proud of her! So amazed by her abilities! She truly is a Skywalker, but she'll never know. She'll never know………

" Anakin!"

She's seen me, now I'm in for it.

" Anakin why weren't you there to see me at the ceremony?"

She looks angry with me. How can I tell her it was too much for me? How can I explain to her that everything just gets too much for me sometimes?

I hate seeing her so upset, those beautiful big blue eyes are windows into her emotions and right now I see complete loneliness in them. What I would do to be able to freely lift her up into my arms and make it all better.

" I missed you! I was telling all the other kids on the transport that you and Obi-wan were my best friends and that you'd come and see me and everything and they were so jealous and then you didn't even show up!"

She's extremely advanced for a six-year-old. I know I'm biased, but she really is! All the initiates are I supposed, with the intense training they get, but my little girl is special and she always was…always will be. She talks and talks and talks, she's talking now, scolding me for my insensitivity. She makes me feel about two inches tall.

" I'm sorry," I utter quietly and she shuts up, gazing up at me with those huge expressive eyes. I see Padme in her face; she's definitely her mother's daughter. So beautiful! " I had to run an errand for Obi-wan, didn't he tell you?"

Her face is suddenly contorted into a look of exasperation and she sighs dramatically. What a little drama queen; she's so adorable.

" Yeah he did, but that's such a load of crud! You could have got out of it, I just made my lightsaber Anakin!"

I smile and nod. Yes, her first lightsaber, what a day!

" My first lightsaber!" she repeats in case I didn't hear her the first time. I can no longer see pride in her face, all I see is sadness and an expression that reads clearly that she thinks I deserted her. She doesn't know how far from the truth she is.

" Can I see it?"

She gives me one last calculating look before pulling out her lightsaber. I recognise the casing as my own handiwork. It was my parting gift to her when I deserted her…when I abandoned her…when she was taken from my arms, never to be returned as my own. It's all I had to give, and seeing it now brings fresh waves of heartbreak………my little girl, oh my little girl.

She ignites her lightsaber and a deep blue blade shoots out of the handle. She stares at it with an expression of pure wonder.

" Oh Mayco it's perfect," I gasp, expressing more emotion than I had meant to. She jerks her eyes onto mine and for a moment I see a glimmer of comprehension.

" Master Windu was so surprised that it was such a deep colour, but then again he can't talk right, because his is purple!" she says proudly, gazing back at her lightsaber and waving it round ever so slightly, reeling in the joy of having her own blade.

I can't explain how proud I feel.

" They're throwing a party for us up in the mess hall, do you wanna come?" she suddenly says vanquishing her blade and looking up at me expectantly. Her lower lip is trembling slightly. She mistook my not going to her ceremony as me not caring for her anymore. She thinks I'm abandoning her.

" Of course I'll come, I'll be up in a minute," I say and she looks slightly reassured.

" Okay," she says vaguely, nodding her head slightly. I try to muster up my most encouraging smile, but I don't think she's buying any of it. She knows something's wrong. She can read me so easily.

" May let's go!"

Mayco turns round and nods to her friend. Then she turns back to me, her face full of a hidden pain she's not showing me. Before I can stop myself I drop to my knees and pull her into my arms. She returns my embrace as though she feels she's never going to see me again. I can practically feel the relief flowing off her.

When we separate her face is glowing. She's simply exuding happiness. I smile broadly at her and she runs off to join her friends on their way up to the mess hall for their party.

I watch her blonde head bobbing out of sight and my whole body crumples in pain. My little girl. She makes me so happy, I love her so much, but this is killing me, my heart breaks a little more each day. It's too hard to pretend to be something I'm not. I'm just a friend to her. Just a friend.

Oh my little girl, my perfect little girl, I love you so much………and you'll never know. You're mine and you'll never know. My little girl.

XXX

_Coming up: Anakin and Obi-Wan take on the challenge of a life time as they agree to take ten seven year olds on a mission_


End file.
